


SAFE (THE COLOR BLUE)

by ksstarfire



Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: Angst, M/M, Stupidity and hardheadedness, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-07-14
Packaged: 2018-12-02 06:33:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11503737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ksstarfire/pseuds/ksstarfire
Summary: Hutch is wounded.Starsky feels responsible.Will their stubborn pride and lack of communication lead them both into danger?





	SAFE (THE COLOR BLUE)

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to make this a GEN story, but the boys wouldn't cooperate. Sorry Gen lovers!

SAFE

(THE COLOR BLUE)

CHAPTER ONE

The Metro Blue were down by three runs to the Pacific Pride. It was the bottom of the ninth. Metro had loaded the bases. Starsky, with a single, was now on third base. Babcock, with a single, was on second. And Littleton had walked. So the bases were loaded. There were two outs.

Hutch picked up his bat and walked out toward the batter’s box. He swung the bat in his hand. Feeling the weight of it and how it sliced through the air. He heard a familiar whistle and glanced toward third base.

“A’right, blondie! Bring us in!” Starsky yelled.

Hutch grinned and continued to the plate. The Pride’s pitcher had a wicked slider and his curve ball was nasty. He also had a fast ball that, so far, few had been able to hit.

Hutch had been lucky to have hit a couple of singles, but hadn’t been able to cross home plate. Now he thought he had the timing of the guy’s pitches down. At least he hoped he did.

Taking a couple practice swings when he got to the plate, Hutch pulled the bat back over his right shoulder. He bent his knees and focused his icy blue gaze on the pitcher.

The ball came at him, fast and hard. Hutch had been about to swing, when the ball dropped out of the strike zone at the last second.

“Ball!” The home plate umpire yelled.

Hutch watched as the catcher tossed the ball back to the mound.

Hutch’s three teammates on base and those in the dugout were all yelling advice to him. Especially Starsky. But Hutch tuned them out. Their yells were simply background noise.

Once again, Hutch saw the ball coming at him. This time he swung with all his might. He heard and felt the bat hit the ball.

“Foul. Strike one!” From the umpire.

The Blue all groaned, and Starsky yelled, “I’ll buy ya’ dinner, if you get us in!”

Hutch just smiled and watched the pitcher rotating the ball in his hand. When the pitcher put the ball in his glove and got ready for the next pitch, Hutch knew it was going to be a curve. High and inside. He had watched him throughout the game, and now knew the signs for what he was going to throw.

He was ready and pulled back so the ball didn’t catch him on the side of his face.

His teammates immediately took offense to the close pitch, as the umpire called, “Ball two.” He cast a look over his shoulder at Starsky. He saw his partner stand down.

Hutch just shook it off.

He had the pitcher’s number now.

He had this.

The next pitch was another ball. So the count was three and one, Hutch smiled to himself. He knew where the next pitch would be, and he swung with all his might.

“Foul! Strike two!”

Okay, so he had missed striking it solidly by half an inch. He would adjust.

Full count. Runners would be running. Hutch knew it was now or never. He also knew, the pitcher would give him the exact same pitch, because he didn’t want to take a chance on walking in a run.

Hutch stepped out of the batter’s box and tapped his bat against his shoes. He took a deep breath and looked at where the outfielders were playing. The left fielder was playing closer to center field, expecting anything Hutch hit to be in that direction, as that’s where his last two hits had gone.

He stepped back up to the plate and faced the pitcher. His blue eyes narrowed and he felt a smile pull at his lips. The pitcher had walked back to pick up his resin bag. Hutch knew he had him shook. The pitcher knew Hutch was the power-hitter on the team. And he knew Hutch had made contact with his pitches twice already.

The pitcher stepped back up on the mound. He shook off the catcher’s first two calls, then nodded. He glanced quickly at first and third, then turned to release his pitch.

Hutch pulled in a breath, held it, and let it out as he swung. The bat hit the ball squarely, with a resounding ‘thwack’, and sailed up and out toward right field. He dropped the bat and took off running for first.

He rounded first and saw the ball nearing the outfield fence. As he stepped on second base, he saw the right fielder running to track it down.  He willed his body to run faster.

His teammates had all crossed home plate as he rounded third and were awaiting him, beyond the plate, out of the line of play, to welcome him home.

Their fellow officers, friends, and families were all cheering wildly in the bleachers and folding chairs set up by the field.

Hutch took it all in on some level as he continued running.

As he raced to home plate, he saw Starsky yelling something, then indicating for him to slide.

He dropped onto his left side at the last second and slid under the catcher’s attempt to tag him.

“SAFE!” The umpire yelled.

The noise from the crowd was almost deafening now, but Hutch heard the umpire’s call. He bounded to his feet. Starsky was first in line. With the umpire’s call still ringing in his ears, Hutch threw his hands in the air to meet his partner’s hands. He was smiling so big, his cheeks hurt.

He locked his eyes on his partner’s smiling blue eyes. “Yeah… ‘safe’…” He thought. He could look into those cobalt blue eyes forever.  The color reminded him of sunny days when he was a kid, lying on the lawn looking up at the cloudless summer skies in Minnesota. They also reminded him of dreams he had been having lately. Dreams of him and Starsky making love. He wanted to see those eyes darken with passion. He wanted to lean in and kiss Starsk! He shook those thoughts off… for now.

“We won!” Hutch yelled at his partner. “You owe me dinner!”

And then he was falling.

*****

Starsky stood on third base and watched his partner walk to the plate. Hutch had to get a hit or they would lose this game. Metro had never lost to Pacific before. And he hoped like hell they wouldn’t lose today.

“Al’right, blondie! Bring us in!” He saw Hutch grin. He had faith in his partner. If anyone could bring them all in, it was Hutch. God, how he loved Hutch! He shook his head to get the image out of his mind that formed with that thought. _Hutch was in the shower, and he turned to pull Starsky In with him._

When Hutch hit a ball foul, Starsky groaned and yelled out, “I’ll buy ya’ dinner, if you get us in!”

He saw the next pitch sail precariously close to Hutch’s head. He was ready to charge the mound and ask the pitcher what the hell he thought he was doing. But he saw Hutch cast him a look over his shoulder, and shrug it off. So he did, too. But if that guy threw at Hutch again, all bets were off.

Full count! Dang, he didn’t think his heart could take this! “C’mon, Hutch!” he chanted to himself as he took a lead off third base.

THWACK!

Starsky was running almost before Hutch dropped his bat and took off for first. He could hear Babcock running behind him, yelling. He crossed home and turned to see Babcock cross a few short seconds later. Littleton was rounding third as Hutch stepped on second and headed for third.

Starsky and Babcock stepped back, out of the way, as Littleton crossed the plate and joined them.

Hutch was running for third. Starsky watched him. His long legs eating up the distance. His blond hair glowing in the sunlight. The smile still on his face. He saw him step on third and really turn it on as he headed for home.

Starsky saw the right fielder pick up the ball and throw to the second baseman, who caught it and turned to throw to the catcher. “Slide, Hutch! Slide!” He indicated with his hands for Hutch to slide.

“SAFE!”

“YES!!” Hutch had slid under the tag! Metro had won!!

As Hutch bounded to his feet, Starsky ran forward with his arms over his head to meet him. He heard Hutch say something about winning and dinner. Starsky couldn’t stop grinning as his hands met Hutch’s in the air.

Then, suddenly, Hutch was falling.

*****

Starsky grabbed him around the waist, thinking he was just winded. Then he heard someone yelling, “GUN!” and he heard a shot.

Littleton fell to the ground beside Starsky.

He still held Hutch around the waist. He quickly lowered himself and his partner to the ground, looking around to see where the shot had come from. He saw a dark-colored sedan pulling away from the parking area in back of left field. A man was pulling a rifle back into the car as it squealed down the street, smoke coming off the tires.

He pulled his hands away from Hutch’s back so he could reach for his gun, only to remember he wasn’t wearing it.

“Hutch. Let’s move. We gotta get ‘em!”

He saw that Littleton was bleeding from a wound to his left arm.

“Hutch! C’mon!”

Starsky looked down to see why Hutch wasn’t answering, and first saw his hands were covered in red. Red that matched the color of the back of Hutch’s shirt, which _had been_ light blue.

“Hutch? HUTCH!”

“MEDIC!”

Hutch was lying on his side. Starsky grabbed a blanket someone held out to him and put it on the ground behind Hutch. He then carefully rolled Hutch onto his back. Hutch’s eyes opened and he stared at Starsky’s face.

“Starsk, c’mer,” Hutch rasped out. He stared deeply into Starsky’s eyes when Starsky bent down over him.

“Hey, what’re you doing, Hutch? You’re gonna be okay. Hang on!”

“Takin’ look… so can ‘member you.” Hutch winced as he tried to take a deep breath. “One last.. mem’ry…  t’take wi’ me.”

“What? Stop talking crazy!” Starsky’s heart was racing as he heard what Hutch said.

“I wan’ image… you… take wi’ m...” Hutch’s eyes closed slowly and he went limp.

“HUTCH!”

CHAPTER TWO

Captain Dobey and Edith got to Memorial Hospital shortly after the ambulance arrived with Hutch. They walked into the Emergency Room doors in time to see Starsky arguing with a nurse who wasn’t going to let him go into the treatment room Hutch was in. They quickly walked over to intervene.

Dobey took one of Starsky’s arms while Edith slid between the nurse and the irate detective. She put her hands on Starsky’s chest and when his attention dropped to her, she smiled and said, “Let them work on Ken. Give them some time and space. You know they are the best and they’ll come and get you as soon as they know anything.” She waited a few seconds for that to sink in, and said, “Come on, Dave, let’s go sit down in the waiting area.”

“You’ll let me know… anything?” He asked the nurse over the top of Edith’s head.

“As soon as we’ve checked him out. I promise.” The nurse replied. She smiled at Edith and turned to go back into the room where Hutch was.

Edith felt Starsky’s body tense as if he were about to follow the nurse. “Dave. Let’s go sit down. Harold, why don’t you go over to the admitting desk and give them the information they need on Ken.”

As Dobey walked to the desk, Edith led Starsky toward the waiting room. She paused outside the door of the men’s restroom. “Go wash up, Dave. I’ll wait right here for you and yell in if they need you.” When it looked like Starsky might balk, she pointed to his hands which were covered in Hutch’s dried blood. “Go, wash up. Splash a little water on your face. I promise to yell for you.”

Starsky nodded at Edith and walked into the restroom. When he saw himself in the mirror, he knew Edith had been right. His hands and wrists were covered in dried blood and his face was covered in dust and dirt from the game. He turned on the water in the sink, squirted some soap onto his hands and started scrubbing them. Seeing the water turn red made his legs weak and he almost fell, before stiffening them. He closed his eyes as he washed, until he thought the water would be running clear. Then he bent his face down and splashed cold water on it, cleaning off most of the dirt. He stood and pulled some paper towels from the dispenser, wiping his face, hands and arms.

He looked in the mirror. His blue eyes were dark with pain and determination. “I’ll get ‘em, Hutch. Promise.” He blinked and turned to walk back out to the waiting area.

Edith was standing close to the door as he exited. She threaded her arm through one of his and started walking toward the chairs set aside for family. She ushered him to a chair where he could see the door to Hutch’s room, knowing this would help him stay calm. She sat in the chair next to his and put her hand on his tense arm. “He’ll make it. Ken’s strong.”

“There was so much blood…” Starsky trailed off.

“Harold called the precinct on our way here. Guys should be showing up any minute to donate.” She kept her hand on his arm. “Ken WILL make it through this. We just have to believe, Dave.”

Starsky flashed her a weak smile, but kept his eyes focused on the door Hutch was behind. He hated to be separated from Hutch when he was hurt. What if Hutch didn’t make it? What if he wasn’t with Hutch at the last minute? He HAD to be there! He started to stand up, but Captain Dobey was suddenly in front of him.

“Sit down, Dave. I need your statement about what happened. What you heard or saw.”

Starsky almost stood up and pushed Dobey aside, but common sense kicked in, and he sat back in his chair.

Dobey sat in the chair beside him. Edith was still in the chair on the other side. “Did you hear the gun shots?”

Rubbing his hands over his face, Starsky said, “No. Not the one that hit Hutch. But I did hear the one that hit Littleton. I heard guys yelling ‘gun’, and looked out toward the street.” He paused, remembering. “There was a car, sedan, dark green I think… two-door… I saw someone pulling a rifle back in the window as the car drove off!”

“That jives with what some of the other guys said. We’ve got an APB out. Oh, and Littleton was just grazed on the arm.”

Starsky looked toward the entrance when he heard the doors whoosh open. Two patrol officers were walking in. They stopped by the waiting room. “Any news?” At the negative shake of Starsky’s head one said, “We’re gonna go donate some blood. Let us know if there’s anything else we can do.”

Starsky told them thanks from him and Hutch and nodded at them as they left.

“Thanks, Cap’n. Me an’ Hutch always know we can count on you and Edith.”

They sat there, quietly. Occasionally another officer, detective, or two would come in, ask about Hutch, then go to donate blood. Starsky was getting antsy as the minutes ticked by. When the door of the treatment room Hutch was in opened, Starsky jumped to his feet. He walked quickly toward the nurse, whom he recognized, followed closely by the Dobeys.

“Geri! What? How…”

“Shhh, Starsk. Let’s go sit back down and I’ll tell you what I know.” Geri took his arm and walked him back to the chair he had just left. “Sit.” She waited until he had, then began to update him and the Dobeys.

“Hutch was shot once, in his back. The bullet is perilously close to his spinal cord. Doctor Jean Hobbs is scrubbing and will be operating to remove the bullet as soon as we get him up to the OR.”

“Wait! Is Hutch going to be paralyzed?” Starsky scooted to the edge of his chair and grabbed one of Geri’s hands. His heart was stuttering in his chest.

Geri patted his hand. “Doctor Dains said the x-rays didn’t show if his cord had been hit or not. That’s why they called in Doctor Hobbs. She’s the best spinal injury surgeon around. We’ll know more once she has his back… once she’s started the surgery.” Geri knew she needed to give him some hope. “Hutch’s vital signs are still good. We’ve been giving him fluids and blood already.”

“Did he wake up?” Edith asked the question she knew Starsky was wanting to ask, but couldn’t.

“No. He hasn’t woken up… yet. The surgery is going to be a long one. With the bullet so close to his spinal cord, every move will have to be slow and precise.”

“I… I grabbed him. Around his back when he started to fall. Did I… “ Starsky couldn’t finish.

Geri took his hands in hers. “No, Dave. You didn’t cause him harm. In fact, you may have saved him further injury. If he had fallen, it might have driven the bullet in deeper.” She saw he wasn’t buying what she was saying. So she tried again, “Dave, you know I would never lie to you, don’t you?” She waited for him to look up and nod, slowly. “I’m not lying now. Not about something this serious.”

Starsky closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The thought that he might have caused Hutch further injury had struck him hard. “Thank you, Geri.”

“I have to go scrub in. I want to be there for Hutch. And you. Doctor Hobbs is okay with it, and said she might need another pair of hands. I promise I, or someone, will update you as soon as we know anything. But it will be a while. Why don’t you guys move up to the surgery waiting area?”

“Can I s… see him before they take him upstairs?”

“Not right now, Dave. They’re trying to hurry. And he hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“We’ll let you know.” Geri stood, leaned in and kissed Starsky on the cheek. “Promise.”

The three watched Geri walk away. Each sent up silent prayers as they walked to the elevator to go upstairs to the surgical waiting area.

 

CHAPTER THREE

It had been over three hours and Starsky was about to lose it. No one had come out to update them at all! Dobey and Edith both kept telling him to calm down. They told him surgeries like this took a long time. None of it eased Starsky’s fear or anxiety. He needed to be with Hutch, in the surgery suite, so he could talk to Hutch and he would hear him.

“I need to go in there! They can put that dress-thing and a mask on me.”

“Dave, this is a very critical surgery. They have to go slowly, make sure each move is precise or they could make things worse for Ken. If you go in there, you might accidently cause a move to go… wrong.” Edith had a grip on Starsky’s arm. “They know what they’re doing. They will send someone out as soon as they know something.”

Starsky blew out a breath and sank against the back of his chair. He felt useless. He felt... too far away from his partner. Helpless to comfort and encourage him. He swiped his arm across his eyes, which had started to water. He told himself it was from staring at the doors leading into the surgical area for so long.

He had lost count of the number of officers, office staff, and detectives who had come in to donate blood for Hutch. They had all stopped to talk to Starsky for a few moments. He had thanked each of them from Hutch and himself.

But he wanted to talk to Hutch. And that wasn’t happening fast enough.

Edith got up, went to the coffee pot across the room, and fixed Starsky a cup of coffee. She walked back and offered it to him. He leaned around her so he could see the doors and she touched his shoulder. “Honey, drink this.” He looked at the cup and she saw him shake his head ‘no’. She had put extra sugar in it and wanted him to drink it.

Sitting down beside him again, she reached out to take his left hand in hers. She placed the cup in that hand and curled his fingers around it. “Drink it, Dave.”

She smiled as he raised the cup to his lips and took a sip. She smiled at his look of distaste. “I know, it’s very sweet, but you need that right now. Please finish it.”

Starsky swallowed the sweet, hot coffee. He put the empty cup on the table in front of him. After a few minutes, he realized he did feel a bit more refreshed. Turning to Edith, he kissed her on the cheek and said, “Thank you. Sorry I’m being such a pain.”

Edith smiled at him. “You and Hutch are my favorite ‘pains’.”

He sat. He paced. He drank coffee and then had to visit the men’s room. He refused to eat. He paced. He sat.

After four hours with no word, he stood and headed toward the doors to the operating room. Dobey quickly jumped up and got in front of him.

“I gotta know! Something… anything! This is killin’ me, Cap’n!”

“Sit down, son. Let me see if I can find out anything. He’s got a bullet in his back, near his spine. They have to go slow. Sit down. Please?” Dobey waited until Starsky turned back toward the chairs and couches, then turned around to see if he could find someone to pump for information. He found a nurse and asked if she could get an update for them.

Fifteen minutes later, Geri came out of the doors and headed toward them. She saw Starsky jump to his feet and rush toward her. She grabbed his arms and steered him back to where the Dobeys sat.

“Doctor Hobbs is still working on him. The bullet is very close to his spinal cord. It looks like it hit a rib, followed along it, then lodged in his spine. She has had to clean out splinters from the rib as she has gone deeper. They aren’t sure what they will find as they trace the bullet’s path. It’s a slow process, Starsky, but she’s the best around. He’s in the best possible hands right now.” She smiled at the three, but she knew her report had left a lot to be desired by Starsky.

“I would have been out sooner with an update, but I’ve been assisting with the surgery. I will try to come out when we know more.” She patted Starsky on the arm and turned to head back to the operating room.

Starsky bit his lower lip and turned to go into the restroom again. Once inside, he slammed his fist against one of the walls. He closed his eyes tightly to fight the tears trying to fall. “This is all my fault!” He whispered. He heard the door open and quickly walked to one of the sinks to splash water on his face. When he looked up, he saw Dobey standing by him.

“You okay, son?” Dobey looked like he knew why Starsky had come in here.

“Yeah… just… uh, tired. Needed to…“ He indicated the running water.

Dobey walked closer and put a hand on Starsky’s shoulder. “Yeah, I know.” He squeezed his shoulder, turned, and left Starsky to his privacy.

“Is Dave okay?” Edith asked as Dobey sat back down beside her.

“I don’t think so. I think he’s blaming himself for this. God knows how he thinks he could have prevented it.” He turned and kissed Edith on the cheek. “If this goes bad… “

“We’ll be there to help him through it.” Edith interrupted her husband.

Dobey thought to himself, “There’ll be no ‘helping him through it’.” He knew if they lost Hutch, they would lose Starsky too. One way or another.

 

CHAPTER FOUR

Starsky watched the doors and the clock. Not knowing what was going on with Hutch was killing him. He felt helpless. And he was still blaming himself. He got up and walked over to one of the windows to look outside. Everything was normal out there. People coming and going. Moving on with their normal lives. Starsky wanted to put his fist through the window.

Captain Dobey had gone down to the cafeteria to get some sandwiches and bring them back up. Edith kept her eyes on Starsky. When she saw his shoulders bunch, she got up and quickly walked over to him.

“Dave?” No response. “Dave, look at me. Turn around.” Edith watched him slowly turn away from the window, and toward her. There was such a lost and wounded look in his eyes. She opened her arms and he stepped into them, dropping his head to her shoulder. She closed her arms around him in a tight hug, with one hand resting on his back and the other on his head. She could feel his whole body shaking.

“What if I… if I… lose him?” Starsky’s back was shaking with the grief he was feeling.

“Shhh, Dave. We have to think positive right now.” She kept stroking her fingers through his hair and rubbing his back with her other hand. Her grip on him was as tight as she could make it. She was talking to him, soothing words, short prayers, encouraging him.

“I let… him down… He told me… when he looked at me, that he wanted an image to remember me. He was telling me, he was going to die. I’ve always told him that I would pro… protect… him. I have to tell him… I’m sorry.”

Starsky’s words slid into sobs. There was a couch close to the window and Edith was able to guide him to it and sit down with him. She rocked him back and forth in her arms, letting him get it all out. She dropped her head to kiss his cheek and forehead, then just rested it against his head, murmuring against his ear. Her own heart was about to break at the feelings of loss, guilt, and grief pouring off the man in her arms.

Captain Dobey came back with sandwiches, which he quickly sat on one of the tables as he hurried over to the pair on the couch. He mouthed the question to Edith, “Hutch?”

Edith shook her head ‘no’ in answer and kept trying to console and comfort Starsky. There were tears in her own eyes, beginning to run down her cheeks.

Dobey eased himself down on the other side of Starsky. He pulled him out of Edith’s hold and into his own. Starsky’s head was now on his shoulder. He also began to rock Starsky. “Let it out, son, let it out.”

After several minutes, Starsky finally pushed out of Dobey’s arms. He took the handkerchief Dobey handed him and wiped his eyes and nose.

“Sorry.” He looked at both the Dobeys. “I was just thinkin’ of what Hutch told me… before he passed out. He… he said he wanted one last look at me… to ‘take with him’. It’s like he believed he was going to die.” Starsky had to pause a moment. “I guess with the docs takin’ so long…”

Edith moved in to hug him tightly. “Dave, you know how long these surgeries can take. And with the bullet near his spinal cord, it’s going to take a lot longer. Ken is strong. And he will fight to get back to you. He’s not going to give up. You know that about him. He’s pulled through some pretty close calls, and I think it’s because he doesn’t want to leave you. He’ll make it. You need to believe that.”

Starsky nodded at her as he slipped out of her arms. “I know. It just got to me for a minute.”

They walked back over to their original seats and sat back down. Dobey was able to persuade him to eat a sandwich and a few chips.

Five hours and thirty two minutes after Hutch had been taken into surgery, a tall, exquisite black woman wearing green scrubs walked out the doors and toward the trio. She held out her hand to Dobey. “I’m Doctor Hobbs. We just finished the surgery on Detective Hutchinson.”

“I’m Captain Dobey, his boss. This is my wife, Edith. And this is Detective Starsky, Hutchinson’s partner. What can you tell us, Doctor Hobbs?”

Starsky was standing between the Dobeys. Each put a hand on the shoulder closest to them in support.

Doctor Hobbs looked at Detective Starsky. She could see he was barely holding on. “Let’s go sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.” She held her hand out and ushered them back to the chairs they had been in. Once seated, she looked at Starsky and began to tell them about Hutchinson.

“The bullet entered his left side at a bit of an angle. It hit a rib and traveled along that rib, splintering off pieces of the rib. I am guessing it was a high power rifle because the bullet continued to move along the rib until it hit the spine.” She looked right at Starsky and continued, “We were able to remove the bullet. It was pressed against Hutchinson’s spinal cord. Until he awakens, we won’t know the extent of the damage.”

“You mean… he might… be paralyzed?” Starsky was barely able to voice his worst fears.”

She looked him in the eye and said, “It’s a possibility.” She quickly added, “But, he might not be. Or he might have a partial impairment of his legs or other areas. Something that we might be able to rehabilitate. As I said, we won’t know until he wakes up.”

“Is he… is he…” Starsky couldn’t continue.

“When is he going to wake up?” Edith asked for him.

Starsky shot a grateful look at Edith, then hurriedly turned his eyes back to the doctor.

“I want to keep him somewhat sedated, to keep him from moving around too much, for about two days. Then I will slowly decrease the sedation to allow him to come out of it. How quickly he truly awakens… I can’t really say.”

Starsky had heard enough. There was only one thing he wanted right now. “Can I see him now?”

“He’s still in recovery right now, Detective.”

“I know. But can I see him now?”

She looked at him. She saw the worry and anxiety on his face.

Dobey said, “They’re really close. I’ve seen how one heals quicker if the other is near. Even if one of them isn’t conscious.”

“Come with me, Detective. I’ll take you to see your partner. But only for five minutes.” She looked at him to make sure he understood the limits.

“Thank you. I got it, Doc, five minutes. Thank you, and call me ‘Starsky’.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Starsky tried to brace himself for what he would see when he saw Hutch, but he still had to grab hold of the door frame when he saw him. Hutch was propped a little bit to his side. There was a large white dressing on his back. He quickly took stock of all the tubes and wires running from his partner’s body. Catheter. IV with clear fluids. IV with blood. Oxygen. Blood pressure cuff. Heart monitor.

He had run out of ‘things’ to look at. Finally, he raised his gaze to Hutch’s face.

The sight of how pale Hutch looked was like a punch to his gut. Hutch’s face was almost as white as the pillow his head was on. He closed his eyes, very briefly, then opened them to continue looking. The pale face was also absent of any kind of expression. Starsky thought it almost looked like a wax museum copy of the usually animated Hutch he knew. He saw a brief moment when Hutch’s face seemed to show pain. But it was gone so fast, he wasn’t sure he’d seen it.

“Five minutes.” Doctor Hobbs said, as she quickly ran an eye over the monitors that recorded her patient’s vitals and heartbeat. She gripped Starsky’s shoulder briefly, in a show of support, and walked out of the room.

He moved close to the bed and reached out, almost hesitantly, to touch Hutch’s hand that was propped up on a pillow close to the edge of the bed. He carefully took his hand in a light grip with his. Hutch’s hand felt so cool, almost cold. He gently squeezed it, trying to give it some warmth from his hand.

“Hey, buddy, it’s me. I’m here.” Starsky swallowed. “I… uh… you need to wake up soon. I mean, you need to pull through this.” He wiped at his eyes with his other hand and wiped it on his shirt. “Who’s gonna keep me outta trouble if you don’t wake up and do it?” His chuckle sounded more like a suppressed sob.

There was a small metal stool on wheels by the wall. He hooked it with his foot, pulled it over by the bed and sat down on it; all without turning loose of Hutch’s hand.

“You know I’m lost without you, blondie.” He paused to clear his throat again. “Dobey and Edith are out in the waiting room. They’re really worried about you too. Huggy called Dobey and told him he’s working his contacts to try to find the shooter. Everyone at the station sends their love. You got a lot of people rooting for you, so you need to pull through this.”

He bent his head closer and touched his forehead to Hutch’s hand. He stayed like that for a while. Not speaking. Just sharing himself with Hutch through the touch of his hand and head. Trying to share love and willing strength to his partner.

He heard a tap at the door, and Doctor Hobbs stepped into the room.

“I’m sorry. Time’s up.” She took in his position. Sitting on the stool, back bent, head touching Hutchinson’s hand. Her heart clenched at the fear and pain she could glimpse on the side of Starsky’s face. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll try to sneak you back in here in an hour, before we move him to the surgical ICU.”

Starsky gave Hutch’s hand one more squeeze and stood up. He wiped his eyes again and turned to face Doctor Hobbs. “Thank you. We… we need each other close. When one of us is hurt.”

“I understand that, Det… Starsky. I’ll be sure that you have as much time with him that we can give you. I’ll tell the nurses… oh, I bet they already know?”

“Yeah. We… ah… tend to bend visiting rules… a lot.” He smiled at her. Giving Hutch one last look he walked out of the room with her.

“He’ll be in recovery for about two hours. We want to keep a close watch on his back, make sure it’s not going to bleed. As soon as he’s stable, we’ll move him to surgical intensive care. As long as we don’t have to work on him, I’ll let you stay with him.”

“You’re an angel, Doc.” Starsky smiled at her.

“Thank you, but I’m no angel. I’m just a mortal trying to help God save your partner.” She smiled at him and walked away as they entered the waiting room.

Starsky saw Huggy was there. He hurried over to find out if Huggy had learned anything. He quickly filled the three in on how Hutch looked, and how long he would be in the recovery room. Then he turned to Huggy.

“You got any news?”

“Yeah. A guy I trust said he heard about a hit supposed to be goin’ down on two cops. Said a couple low-rent shooters were plannin’ on takin’ em out at a baseball game.”

Starsky interrupted. “Names? Where they can be found? Who hired out the hit?” He was ready to go bust them for what they did to Hutch.

“Dobey’s already calling in the troops to check out the motel where they’re supposed to be stayin’. As to who hired them, guess we’ll have to wait and ask them. No word on that… yet.”

“Thanks, Hug. From Hutch, too.” He clapped Huggy on the shoulder.

“Anytime, my man, anytime.”

Starsky was torn. He wanted to be in on busting the shooters but he also wanted to be close to Hutch. Just in case.

“I sent Babcock and Henderson with three patrol units to the motel to check it out. They’ll call. You need to stay here.”

Trust Dobey to be able to read his mind. “Thanks, Cap’n.”

Starsky nodded at Huggy who said, “I’ll let y’all know if I hear anything else.” And left.

“Come sit back down, Dave. Tell me more about how Ken looked.” Edith put her hand on Starsky’s arm and motioned for him to join her back in their chairs.

They sat down and Dobey and Edith chatted, with Starsky giving brief responses. His gaze alternated between the clock and the doors separating him from Hutch. He’d never realized how long an hour could be.

CHAPTER SIX

_Hutch had been drifting. Floating in… nothingness. No light. No sound. No touch. Nothing, but a small spot of… blue_

_Suddenly he felt a… presence. He knew it… but he didn’t know it. The presence hovered, then touched his hand! Warmth spread from that simple, single touch throughout his body and he felt a spark. A shift. He felt himself move out of the darkness._

_He found himself in a room that was dark._

_Suddenly light came on in the room He was surrounded by…_

_Blue._

_All shades and variations of cobalt blue._

_He was in a room somewhere. The room was painted blue. The shades and curtains on the window were blue. There was a wood bed, in the center of the room that was painted blue. It had light blue sheets and a dark blue spread on it. The light bulbs were blue as well. They cast a soft blue light over him and the room. He stood just inside the door looking around._

_His heart whispered a word to him that resonated throughout his mind._

_“Safe.”_

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was about forty five minutes since Starsky had seen Hutch. The Dobeys had been trying to keep him from fidgeting by talking to him, but he was barely paying attention to what they were saying. Officers and detectives had stopped by, and Starsky had politely greeted them, but kept his eyes on the clock.

So he didn’t notice when Doctor Hobbs pushed through the doors from the recovery room. She walked toward him and stopped when she was close enough to reach out and touch his shoulder. “Starsky?”

He jumped and turned quickly to her. “Is he… ? It hasn’t been an hour!”

“Shhh. He’s the same. We’re going to be moving him to the ICU, and I wanted to give you a short time to see him now. Once we move him, it may be a couple hours before you can see him again. Come on back with me.”

“Yes! Thank you, Doc!” Starsky jumped up. He had to restrain himself from running ahead of the doctor. He didn’t want to do anything that might keep him from seeing Hutch.

“He still isn’t awake yet. But his vital signs are good. His lungs still sound clear. It’s just a waiting game now.” She smiled at Starsky as she opened the door to Hutch’s room and ushered him in. A nurse was just finishing checking the dressings on his back and nodded at them before she left.

“I’ll leave you with him. You should have about five to ten minutes before they come to get him.” She started to leave but stopped and turned back to him. “Patients ‘hear’ things said, even when they don’t seem to. Even when they haven’t come out from under the anesthesia yet.” She smiled. “So… keep talking to him, Starsky. He might follow your voice back from wherever he is right now.” She smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her.

He walked up by the bed and took a seat on the stool. “Hutch? Hey, blondie? Can you hear me? If you can, I want to tell you how sorry I am. I’m sorry I didn’t keep you safe. Sorry I missed seeing the shooters until it was too late. Sorry about a lot of things. Things I probably should have talked to you about, before now.” Starsky sighed and shook his head. “I been thinking about something for some time now. I’ve had these… thoughts… dreams maybe. But I didn’t know how to tell you about them.” He stopped. “But right now, all you need to know is I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. So you need to come back, so we can talk.”

Starsky had picked up Hutch’s hand again, and was almost caressing it. He thought about how strong that hand was. And he thought about how tender it was when Starsky was hurt and Hutch was trying to help him. The long fingers, nimble enough to pluck the most beautiful music out of his guitar, yet strong and steady enough to outshoot most of the officers at Metro.

“Have I ever told you how much I love listenin’ to you play your guitar, Hutch? If I haven’t, I’m tellin’ you now. You start playin’ and sometimes it almost makes me cry with how beautiful it is. It wraps around my heart, my soul. Wake up, babe. I need to hear you playin’ again.”

There was a knock at the door and Dr. Hobbs stepped in. “Sorry, we’re ready to move him upstairs. Remember that I told you, it’s going to be at least two hours before you can see him again.”

Starsky nodded and stood. He hesitated for just a second, then bent over and kissed Hutch softly on his cheek. “I’ll be back, Hutch. Soon as they let me.” He followed the doctor out of Hutch’s room, seeing the gurney and orderlies there, waiting to move his partner.

When he walked back into the waiting area he saw Huggy was back, talking to Dobey. He hurried his steps to find out what was being said.

Huggy saw Starsky coming and stopped talking until he was by them. “Starsk! Any news?”

“Nothing new. They’re getting’ ready to move him up to ICU. You got news?”

“Dig it… That other hotel? They’d moved. Dude I know told me he saw a car like the one you’re lookin’ for. It was parked behind that old hotel out on Mountain Drive. Someone had stacked some boxes up behind it. Like they was tryin’ to hide it.”

“Is it still there? Did he see anyone around it?” Starsky’s heart was racing. Finally, maybe a lead!

“He didn’t see no one. But there were scratches on the passenger door, by the bottom of the window. Like someone dragged somethin’ metal in through the window.” He nodded at Starsky.

“Bingo! Thanks Hug! I owe you!” Starsky clapped Huggy on the shoulder. He turned to head for the elevator.

“HOLD IT! Just where do you think you’re going?” Captain Dobey’s voice stopped him, and he turned around.

“I’m gonna go get these guys.” Starsky was all hard determination.

“Not without backup. And me.” He turned to his wife. “Edith, see when they’ll let you in to see Hutch. Tell him we’re going to get the shooters.” He turned back to Starsky. “Let’s go.” He nodded at Starsky and Huggy. They all turned to get in the elevator that had just arrived.

CHAPTER EIGHT

_Hutch had been floating in the blue room, like it was filled with water or something. Nothing changed or stirred. He thought he might have gone to sleep or something._

_There it was again! A presence! The blue room got brighter. The colors more vibrant, more intense. He realized he was now lying on the wood bed. The light blue sheets beneath him were softer than any he had ever laid on. And the dark blue cover over him felt the same… so soft._

_That touch came to his hand again. Warmth spread through him again. He felt himself take a deep breath, as if it were the first he had taken in some time. His heartbeat sped up._

_What was this? Where was this? Why was he here?_

_Somehow, he knew he was supposed to be somewhere else, but he couldn’t figure out where it was._

_The warmth left his hand._

_NO!_

_Then… oh miracle!_

_The warmth touched his cheek! He tried to turn his head to capture that warmth with his mouth, but he couldn’t move his head fast enough, he couldn’t move his head at all, and then the warmth was gone._

_He tried to move his hands. Maybe he could catch it? But his hands wouldn’t move either._

_Why couldn’t he move? Was he tied down? Restrained somehow?_

_The thoughts and questions in his mind began to swirl around into a vortex which drew the brightness of the blue away. It felt like something moving through his body was pulling him down. Away._

_He sighed and resigned himself to the monotony of the room._

_Still… he felt one word sliding through his heart… floating through his veins…_

_“Safe.”_

CHAPTER NINE

Dressed in his oldest jeans and a torn shirt over a ragged t-shirt, with almost all his brunet curls tucked under a ball cap, Starsky limped into the office of the Lost Starlight Motel. He paused inside the door and looked around the dingy lobby, checking that he was the only one there. He scratched at his right arm and sniffed.

He heard a cough from behind the registration desk, then, “What do you want?”

He gave the lobby one last look and limped toward the desk. “Yeah, uh… that car behind the hotel for sale?” He again sniffed and moved from foot to foot.

“What car?” Cough.

“Whaddaya’ mean, what car? How many you t’ink are back there?”

The old man behind the desk shrugged. “Don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no car behind the place.”

“Look, old man. I need a car. Fast.” Starsky pulled a ten dollar bill out of his shirt pocket and waved it in front of the man. “Point me ta the owner so’s I can ask if it’s for sale.” He kept moving from foot to foot and looking over his shoulder.

The old man reached out for the money, but Starsky pulled it back, quickly. “Huh uh. Owner stayin’ here?”

“Wha’ you need a car for?”

“I need some wheels. For a lil’… project.” He fidgeted again.

“Gonna rob a bank, boy?”

Starsky jerked back like the old man had just read his mind. He quickly looked around the lobby, like he expected to be arrested at any second. He took a couple of steps toward the door.

“It was a joke, boy. Might be I know where the owner of the car is.” He looked at the bill Starsky was still holding. “Might be, for another of those…”

“Look, old man, this is it. All I got. ‘s why I need a car.”

“If that’s all ya got, how you gonna pay for the car?”

“’S hopin’ to work a deal. I gots a line on a huge payday.”

The old man just stood there.

“This goes down the way I figgur’, I can triple this.” He laid the ten on the counter. “You sell me out, I can slit your throat, next time I sees ya.”

The old man stepped back from the counter and gave Starsky a fearful look. “Room ten. Down at the end.”

Starsky fidgeted again, picked up the ten, then laid the bill on the counter again. He hurried toward the door, trying very hard to maintain his cover, but wanting to get to the men who had shot Hutch. As soon as he was outside the office, he spoke into the mic clipped under his outside shirt. “Room ten. Last room.” He heard a click that told him his backup had heard him. He hurriedly limped down the sidewalk.

When he got to the door, he waited a few seconds, then knocked on it. Nothing happened. He knocked again. And yelled through the door, “Hey! Y’all wanna’ sell that car?” He fidgeted and scratched at his arm in case anyone was peeking out from behind the curtains. He ran his wrist under his nose and sniffed.

“C’mon, man. I gotta need for a car!”

The door was jerked open and he found himself face to face with a gun. A very large, cocked gun. He quickly stepped back and threw his hands up. “Oh, hey, wait! I jus’ wanna talk about buyin’ that car out back.” He sniffed and reached over to scratch his arm again.

“Get outta here, junkie!” The door started to close.

“Look, I gotta line on a bank heist goin’ down tomorrow. S’posed to be over a mil. I thought I’d get a car, heist the heisters!” Starsky grinned.

The door opened and the man with the gun stepped out. “Yeah? Where and when?”

“You gonna sell me the car?”

“Let’s go around the back of the hotel, and talk about it.” The man turned back and said something to someone else in the room. “Let’s go.” He kept the gun pointed at Starsky.

Starsky had a gun tucked in the back of his jeans, but with the man behind him, he couldn’t reach for it. Hopefully everyone was in place, or this wasn’t going to turn out so well. He began walking around the end of the hotel, continuing to scratch at his arm and sniff every now and then. He walked over to the side of the car closest to the hotel, knowing there was supposed to be an officer on the other side.

“So, how much?” He turned and faced the gunman.

“How about you tell me about this bank heist first?”

Starsky shook his head. “No, man, that’s MY job! I’ll be able to pay you ten times what that car’s worth! So how much?” He fidgeted and reached back with his left hand to scratch at his back. He had his fingers on his gun when a shot was heard from the front of the hotel.

Starsky pulled his gun and yelled for the man in front of him to freeze. The man had turned to see where the shot had come from. He swung back around, pointing his gun at Starsky.

“He said to FREEZE!” Dobey was standing on the other side of the car, with his gun braced on the roof.

The man dropped his gun and put his hands in the air. Starsky quickly walked to him, spun him against the back of the car and frisked him. Dobey tossed him a set of cuffs which he hurriedly put on the man. He recited the man’s rights to him, and spun him back around.

With his eyes flashing blue lightning, he got in the man’s face. “Who hired you for the hit at the ballgame?” When the man didn’t say anything, Starsky fisted his shirt and pulled him closer. “I asked you a question. You better answer it this time, or my boss over there is gonna walk away and leave you to me. Let’s try this again. WHO hired out the hit?”

The gunman just stared, stunned at the rapid transformation from junkie to this wild-eyed man.

“Cap’n?”

“Just don’t kill him, Starsky. Took me two weeks to write up all the paper work for that last guy.” Captain Dobey started to walk back to the front of the hotel.

“Wait! You can’t leave me here alone with him!”

Dobey stopped, and looked at the shaking man. “I can’t? Watch me.” He started walking again, stopping to pick up the man’s gun and drop it into his coat pocket.

Starsky bent down and pulled a long wicked looking knife from the top of one of the boots he was wearing.

Dobey paused at the end of the hotel and called back over his shoulder, “And don’t use that knife on his cock, like the last one, either!” He disappeared from sight.

With a feral grin, Starsky traced the tip of the knife down the side of the zipper on the man’s jeans. “He’s kidding. Maybe.” Starsky turned the man around and pushed him against the trunk of the car. “But I think I’ll carve a picture of the man you shot, on your back. Did I forget to mention, that man is my partner? Once I’m done with that. I’ll work on your cock.” He slit the man’s shirt from bottom to top, and flipped the pieces to either side of the man’s back. Quickly sliding the knife back in his boot, he pulled out a nail file. He placed the tip of the file at the top of the man’s spine and pushed in just enough to produce some pain but no blood.

“WAIT!! I’ll tell you! DON’T cut me!!” The man was sobbing.

Dobey walked quietly back to stand by Starsky. “Talk.” Starsky ordered.

“It was Sithers. He wanted you both dead. You shut down his drug trade in Bay City.”

“Where can I find this Sithers?”

“He’s got a big home in the Hollywood Hills. I can give you the address. Just please don’t cut me!” The man was quaking against the trunk of the car.

Starsky wrote down the address in a small notebook Dobey supplied. He turned the man around and made a show of putting the nail file in his shirt pocket. He laughed when the man began to curse at him. “Tell it to your cell mate in prison. You’re goin’ down for attempted murder of a police officer.” Starsky gripped the man by his upper arms. “And trust me. If it becomes murder, you’ll be seeing me again, and I will use that knife on you! So you better be praying my partner pulls through. Got that?”

Dobey pulled the man out of Starsky’s grip and escorted him to an officer who was just coming around the corner.

Starsky leaned against the trunk of the car. He was shaking as the adrenaline left his system. He straightened away from the car.

“You okay, Dave?”

“I want to go get Sithers. But I don’t want to leave Hutch for too long, Cap.”

“Let’s get you back to the hospital. I’ll take care of Sithers. The other guy gave us the same name and address. We’ve got him cold. I promise to get him for Hutch. And you.” Dobey took his detective by the arm and led him to the front of the hotel and Dobey’s car, which one of the officers had driven there and parked.

CHAPTER TEN

_He felt something. It was hard for him to decide what it was._

_Cold._

_PAIN!_

_He felt cold. And he felt pain! Stabbing through his back._

_HELP! He needed…_

_Where was the warmth?_

_The dark blue cover settled over him like a second skin. That helped._

_Blue._

_Something about blue._

_What?_

_Blue was safe._

_Wasn’t it?_

CHAPTER ELEVEN

As Dobey was taking Starsky back to the hospital, Starsky pulled off the cap and combed his fingers through his hair. He changed back into the shirt he had been wearing at the hospital. Then he toed off his boots and slid his Addidas back on.

“Cap’n, this Sithers…”

“Leave him to me. I’ll have a warrant by tonight. Those two gunmen are going to be kept isolated. So tomorrow morning, I and about thirty other officers are going to be paying Sithers a visit. He won’t get away, Dave. Not from me. I promise.”

“I know…”

Starsky was interrupted by Dobey’s radio. “Captain Dobey. Patch through from your wife at Memorial.”

“Put it through.”

“Hutch! Something’s wrong! I can feel it!” Starsky’s body tensed as he waited for the call to be patched through.

“Harold?”

“What is it, Edith? Is Hutch…”

“They said his pulse and blood pressure are becoming very erratic. They’re worried. How soon will you, and Starsky, be back here?”

“Ten minutes, honey. Maybe less. Tell Hutch to hang on.”

Dobey hung up the mic and slapped the MARS light on the roof as he switched on the siren.

“Hutch?”

“Easy, son. They just said his pulse was erratic. So we need to get there.”

Both were silent as Dobey wove through traffic. A couple of motorcycle officers pulled in front of them and helped clear traffic.

Starsky closed his eyes and chanted to himself, “Hang on. Hang on, Hutch, I’m coming, Baby Blue. Hang on for me.”

They pulled up to the hospital eight minutes later. Starsky was out of the car and running for the entrance to the hospital before Dobey had the car turned off. He followed Starsky as fast as he could.

Taking the stairs, Starsky continued to urge Hutch to hang on. He burst through the door to the ICU and ran through the hall and into the unit. He slid to a halt outside a room, when he saw Edith inside, through the window. He took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping inside. He saw tears on Edith’s face as a nurse was injecting something into Hutch’s IV.

“What?” He walked to the other side of the bed and grabbed Hutch’s hand. “I’m here Hutch! Don’t you dare leave me! I’m here, buddy. Hold on! Grab something and hold on! Don’t leave.”

“His blood pressure and pulse have been a bit erratic. I just gave him some medicine to try to stabilize them.” The nurse looked up at the monitor and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Starsky noted her frown and wanted to know what she saw that had caused her frown.

“His vitals are stabilizing already, but this medicine doesn’t usually work that quickly.”

Edith moved around the bed to stand beside Starsky. She had wiped the tears from her face, slid her arm around his waist, and smiled up at the man beside her. “It’s because his partner is here. They know. And they respond.” She reached over, took Starsky’s free hand and squeezed it.

Captain Dobey walked into the room. He saw the smile on Edith’s face and knew things were okay for now. He walked over and took her into his arms. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks. love.”

“Did you get the men…”

Starsky hugged her next. “Yes. Thank you for being here with him.”

“I’ll be going up in the Hollywood Hills tomorrow, dear. So we need to leave. I have a warrant to obtain and plans to make.”

“Of course. Dave, call if you need anything. I can come back.” She stretched up and kissed Starsky’s cheek.

Dobey gripped Starsky’s shoulder. “Call… for anything.”

“Thanks again, Edith, Cap’n.”

He glanced over as they left, then returned his gaze to Hutch. He kept hold of Hutch’s hand, and walked around the foot of the bed. This room had a chair, which he pulled to the bed with his foot, so he could sit down. He closed his eyes and sent up a quick prayer of thanksgiving that Hutch was still alive. It was almost overwhelming.

He bent down and placed a quick kiss on Hutch’s hand. “Thanks for hanging in there, Hutch.” Then he settled in the chair, as best as he could, to wait. To wait for Hutch to wake up.

CHAPTER TWELVE

_Warmth!_

_His hand was so warm that it was warming his entire body!_

_And the blue… it was almost too bright to look at._

_Ahhhh… more warmth radiating out from his hand._

_He wanted that warmth to touch his cheek again._

_And his lips._

_His lips? What?_

_He was too content to worry about it… for now._

_He tried to turn his hand, to grab the warmth and hold on to it._

_But his hand wouldn’t move. Couldn’t move? Why?_

_Every part of his body was infused with that warmth._

_He gloried in the feeling._

_There would be time… later… to worry about his hand._

_For now… he was with blue._

_And blue WAS safe._

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Starsky sat and talked. Talked and sat. Still Hutch didn’t wake up or move. He continued to hold of his hand. When he got tired, he would rest his forehead against Hutch’s hand. But mostly, he sat and talked.

He told Hutch about arresting the shooters. He told him about Sithers and that Dobey was going up to personally arrest him. He told him why the hit had been ordered. Mostly he told Hutch to hold on, to come back to him, to wake up.

Doctor Hobbs stepped into the room late that evening. She smiled at Starsky and said, “Why don’t you go get some rest. I don’t want to have to treat you, too.”

“I’ll rest when Hutch wakes up. Till then he needs me here… with him.”

She began to check Hutch’s dressings and all the monitors. She lifted his eyelids and flashed a light in them. When she finished with her exam, she turned to Starsky, who had been watching her intently.

“What do you want to ask me?” She knew he had questions and wasn’t surprised by his first one.

“Why isn’t he waking up?”

She wasn’t going to prevaricate with him. “He suffered a traumatic injury, followed by a long surgery. Part of it is the extra sedation I mentioned before. Right now, his body is trying to stabilize. And frankly, he’s trying to decide if he wants to wake up. If he wakes up, he’ll feel the pain more. He’ll hurt. Sometimes people decide to continue sleeping just to avoid the pain.”

Starsky nodded. “But he WILL wake up… won’t he?”

“That I can’t tell you, Starsky. His body… he does seem to respond by relaxing when you are close to him. So, maybe that’s partly an answer for you. He knows you are here. He knows you will protect him. With you close, he has… more reason to wake up.” She shook her head, as if unsure if she should have said what she had. None of it had been really medically scientific.

But Starsky reached out a hand and touched her shoulder. “Thank you, Doctor. You have no idea what your words have done for me.”

She smiled and told him she would check back before she left for the day.

“You hear that, Hutch? She thinks you hear me. So, listen up… you ARE gonna’ wake up. You ARE gonna’ get better. You ARE going to come back to me!”

Starsky continued to talk to Hutch, saying the same things, over and over.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

_He opened his eyes to see the blue pulsing around him._

_Glowing brighter and brighter._

_WAIT!_

_What was that? That… sound?_

_YES! A sound!_

_BLUE!!_

_Star?_

_BlueStar?_

_Didn’t matter._

_It was BLUE!_

_SAFE!_

_HE WAS SAFE!_

_He let out a deep breath he hadn’t know he had been holding._

_Something he was supposed to do… no, needed to do._

_What was it?_

_Look._

_Open his eyes and look._

_He did._

_And saw BlueStar?_

_Leaning back in a chair beside him. His eyes closed. Hutch looked down BlueStar’s body, following his arm to his hand. WARMTH!_

_How… how did HE reach out?_

_“Bluh… “_

_Nothing._

_“BLUH…”_

_BlueStar’s head whipped around and his eyes opened, focused on him!_

“HUTCH!?”

_Oh, thank God…  That... BLUE!_

_“_ HUTCH! Your eyes are open! You’re awake!!”

_“Bluhhh.” He focused on those vivid, deep blue eyes. He saw him reach up and push some button and suddenly the room was smaller because of so many people coming into it. He kept his eyes on BlueStar, who didn’t give way to any of the people reaching out to touch this, check that, push something else._

“What are you trying to say, Hutch? Are you hurting?”

_Hutch wet his lips and tried again, “B…lue.” He was so proud of himself, but BlueStar didn’t seem to understand. He closed his eyes, then opened them again and slowly said, “Blue…Star”_

_He saw a smile bloom below those blue eyes he loved._

“Yeah, Hutch… I’m Starsky. But what is ‘blue?”

_The other people kept trying to get between them! And BlueStar wasn’t able to understand him! He closed his eyes. He was tired._

_Maybe later…_

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Hutch! Open your eyes again. Hutch?”

“What happened, Starsky?”

He realized Doctor Hobbs was there beside him. His gaze flicked from Hutch to the doctor. “His eyes were open! He tried to say something. Sounded like ‘Blue’ and he said ‘Star’. Almost sounded like BlueStar.”

“Any clue what he meant?”

Starsky shook his head. “No, no clue.”

“Did he move at all? His hands? Head?”

Closing his eyes, he thought back to what he had seen. “No. I heard him say something, and when I looked at him, his eyes were open and he was looking at me. At my face. But I didn’t see him move at all, just his eyes.” Starsky paused as the horror of what that might mean washed through him. “Is he… paralyzed?”

She reached out and touched his arm. “It’s too soon to tell. And as for him seeming to be confused, that’s sometimes a by-product of the anesthesia. We’ll just have to give him a bit more time. It’s good that he opened his eyes and tried to communicate with you. That’s a good sign, Starsky.”

As soon as she saw him nod in affirmation, she walked around the bed and lifted the covers to check on Hutch’s dressings. Seeing they were still dry and intact, she watched the monitors displaying his vital signs for a few seconds. “I’d say Hutch will be waking up more in the next day or two. Keep talking to him. Keep encouraging him.”

Starsky rubbed his hands over his face. Then looked back at Hutch.

“You need to be taking care of yourself too. Why don’t I call one of your friends to come spell you for a bit? Go get something to eat. Take a walk outside.”

“Nah. Not right now. I wanna be here in case he wakes up again.”

“Starsky…”

“I know. I know. When he’s more awake, I’ll take a break. And Huggy has been sneaking food in here for me.”

“All the staff knows that. They all talk about the heavenly aromas. They don’t say anything, but I think they are getting ready to blackmail you or Huggy or both!” She laughed then sobered. “Hutch is going to need you when he wakes up. You won’t do him any good if you collapse.”

“Got it, Doc.” He resumed his seat beside Hutch and took his hand again. “For now, it’s me and he.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

_It had been good to see BlueStar. That name didn’t seem quite right, but he’d figure that out later._

_He took a deep breath and immediately regretted it as his back suddenly felt like it was on fire! Why? Maybe he needed to work up to deep breaths?_

_BlueStar had looked tired. Like he hadn’t been sleeping. Next time I wake up, I will tell him to go take a nap._

_Wait? ‘Next time I wake up’? Why am I sleeping so much?_

_No matter how hard he tried to remember what had happened he couldn’t._

_It was all shrouded in a cobalt blue mist. Like BlueStar’s eyes._

_He felt the warmth on his hand again, and only then realized it had been gone for some time._

_Ahhhhhh. Yes! That was what he needed._

_BlueStar was here and would watch over him as he slept. He heard something… sounded like “Me and HE”. NO! That wasn’t right!! No, BlueStar… not right… ‘Me and THEE’!_

_He’d tell BlueStar about that, too… when he woke up again._

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Captain Dobey stepped into Hutch’s room in the ICU. He saw Starsky leaning back in a chair by the bed. Starsky was holding onto Hutch’s hand. He closed his eyes and sent up another prayer that Hutch would make it through this. Opening his eyes, he walked over and touched Starsky on the shoulder.

Starsky’s eyes popped open and he first looked at Hutch. When he saw he was still sleeping he looked the other way and saw Dobey. He brushed his other hand over his eyes, still holding onto Hutch’s hand. “Cap’n.” He suddenly felt totally awake. “Sithers?”

“In jail. Along with about twenty of his men. And we confiscated about two million dollars in drugs.” Dobey had a huge smile on his face.

Starsky almost let out a whoop, but toned it down to, “Good work, Cap’n.” He looked back at his partner, then back to Dobey and said, “Thank you.”

“My pleasure, son. Any change?”

“He opened his eyes earlier today. He was kind of confused. Doc said that might be from the anesthesia. She also said all his vitals look good.”

“He’ll make it, Dave. With you here pulling for him, he’ll make it.”

“Uh, Cap… about work…”

“You’re on paid leave as Hutch’s security guard. We’re pretty sure we got all of Sither’s men, but, just in case.”

Starsky smiled at his boss. “Thanks again, Cap’n.”

When Dobey left, Starsky sat back down in his chair and told Hutch all about the arrests at the hotel and about Sithers being arrested. He told him how proud he was of him for hitting a grand slam and winning the game for Metro. He talked and talked, encouraging Hutch to wake up.

He was looking up at the heart monitor and noticed Hutch’s pulse was faster. Not high, but faster than normal. He glanced back down at Hutch’s face and saw his eyes were open again. And fastened on his face!

“Hutch!” He started to reach for the nurse call button, but remembered all the people who had come in the last time, and decided to wait. “Welcome back, buddy! How are you feeling?”

_He had been watching BlueStar for a few minutes. He kept hearing him calling his name, asking him to wake up. As soon as those blue eyes met his, warmth flooded through him and he felt… safe._

_“Blue.”_

“Blue? Blue what? Hutch it’s Starsky! Don’t you recognize me?” Starsky was beginning to think he _should_ call for a nurse.

_Hutch thought about what he had heard. ‘Starsky’? Not BlueStar?_

_Suddenly, it was like a light was switched on! The baseball game. The team. Starsky! Waiting there… at home plate for him… SAFE!_

He looked at Starsky. “Starsk…” He looked at those blue eyes. Blue eyes that had called to him, it seemed like forever. “Blue… Star… eyes.” He blinked and said, “Starsky…Safe.”

Through the tears in his eyes, Starsky looked at Hutch. “That’s what ‘BlueStar’ is?” He remembered, at the game, Hutch had stared into his eyes just before he fell. “You can call me whatever you want to, Hutch as long as you’re talking. I need to call your doctor in here. Let her know you’re awake. Okay, babe? Just her. Not a crowd like last time.” He waited until he saw Hutch nod his head slightly.

Then he realized what he had seen. Hutch had moved his head!

He picked up the phone and asked to talk to Doctor Hobbs. When she came on the line he told her, “Hutch is awake. And he moved his head a little bit. Can you keep the people in here down to just you? I think the last time, it overwhelmed him.” He hung up when she said she would be right in.

“You’re gonna like her, buddy. She’s beautiful. She operated on your back. Do you remember getting shot?”

Hutch closed his eyes and searched through his limited memory. “I fell. You caught me. Blue eyes. Love.”

Starsky couldn’t believe what Hutch had said. “Love, Hutch?”

Pale blue eyes locked on his. “Yes. Love.”

Starsky smiled. “We got a lot to talk about, babe.”

Doctor Hobbs walked into the room with a lab tech. She smiled at Hutch and told him she wanted a blood test.

Hutch looked at Starsky. “BlueStar?”

“It’s okay, Hutch.” He put his hand back on Hutch’s and helped the tech move his arm so she could draw the blood.

Somehow, Hutch knew he’d done this before. But it was still kind of new. He watched the tech and when she left, he transferred his gaze to the doctor.

“I need to look at the dressings on your back. I won’t hurt you.” She checked them and found them dry and intact. “Starsky told me you moved your head a little. Can you move it for me?”

Hutch concentrated and nodded his head slightly.

“Good job! Can you move your hands or arms?”

Hutch realized Starsky still had his right hand in his grip. He concentrated again and felt his hand twitch. He tried again and was able to grip Starsky’s hand, very lightly.

“Excellent. That’s all I want you to try for right now. I don’t want to overtax you.” She smiled at Hutch. She moved to the foot of the bed and uncovered Hutch’s feet. She took a pen from her pocket and stroked it up the center of Hutch’s left foot, then the right. Neither foot moved.

Starsky looked at her and said, “Hutch is pretty ticklish on his feet. Does this mean…”

She cut him off. “There’s bound to be swelling from the injury and then the surgery. It’s too early to tell anything yet.” She smiled and left the room.

Starsky turned his head and quickly wiped his eyes. When he turned back toward Hutch, Hutch looked unsure of what was going on. “It’s okay, blondie. I’m just glad you’re awake and able to move a little.”

Hutch smiled and relaxed. BlueStar… no… Starsky was okay.

Suddenly he thought of something. He was tired but he HAD to say this. “Not… ‘me and HE’! ‘S ‘me and… THEE’!”

Hutch fell back to sleep, listening to Starsky’s laughter.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Starsky spent the night in Hutch’s room. The chair reclined, so he had reclined it back and kept Hutch’s hand in his. He would nap then wake up and talk to Hutch who seemed to sleep through the night. It was about six when he realized Hutch was awake and staring intently at him again. He tilted the chair up and faced Hutch.

“Mornin’, blondie.” He grinned at Hutch. “Sleep good?” He ran his fingers through his curls. Realizing Hutch wasn’t answering, he quickly focused on him. “You okay?”

“Starsky.”

“That’s me. What’s up? You okay, buddy?”

“Have you told me everything?”

“What do you mean, ‘everything’?”

“Everything about me. My condition.”

“Yes, of course.” Starsky remembered Doctor Hobbs saying something about waiting to tell Hutch anything until they knew more. Until the swelling in his back had gone down. So he felt like a small prevarication was called for here.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you not being honest… why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” Starsky was at a loss as to what Hutch was talking about.

Hutch closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, opened his eyes, then said, “That I… I… I’m paralyzed!” He kept his eyes locked on Starsky’s. So when Starsky blinked, Hutch knew he had heard right, that Starsky had been talking to the surgeon about him being paralyzed.

“Hutch… it’s not… Doctor Hobbs said…”

“I’m tired. You can leave. I may be paralyzed, but I AM capable of sleeping by myself!”

Starsky felt like Hutch had just nailed him with a right hook. “No, Hutch. You gotta’ listen.”

Hutch glared at him. “So… now I’m stupid as well as paralyzed? How did I ever make detective?  I heard her. And I don’t want to hear anything else YOU have to say, ‘ _partner_ ’. I can barely move my hands! You think I haven’t noticed that I can’t move my legs? You think I haven’t noticed that it takes three or four people to turn me from side to side?” Hutch sounded defeated as he said, “Get out of here.” Hutch closed his eyes and refused to open them or hear anything Starsky tried to say to him. After a few minutes of hearing Starsky going on and on, but not actually hearing what he said, Hutch asked him to call the nurse.

“What do you need, Hutch? You havin’ pain?” Starsky was concerned and pushed the call button right away. He watched a nurse walk in less than a minute later.

“What do you need, Sir?”

“Get him out of here.”

Both the nurse and Starsky said, “WHAT?” at the same time.

The pulse monitor began to beep, indicating that Hutch’s heart rate was out of normal range for him as Hutch shouted, “I said, GET HIM OUT OF HERE!”

“Please, calm down Mr. Hutchinson…”

“Hutch, let me help you…”

“LIKE YOU’VE ALL READY HELPED ME?!

“IF I COULD GET OUT OF THIS BED RIGHT NOW, I’D THROW HIM OUT MYSELF!! DAMN IT!! GET HIM THE HELL OUT OF HERE!”

Starsky was stunned by the cold fury in his partner’s voice. Hutch had never turned that ‘cold Hutchinson’ voice on him!

When the heart monitor began sounding off its shrill warning, too, the nurse quickly rounded the bed and tried to get Hutch to calm down. She turned to Starsky and said, “Maybe you should leave for a while, Sir?”

“Hutch?? Please?” When it looked like Hutch was only going to continue to make himself sicker with yelling, He grabbed his jacket off the chair. “Ok, Hutch. I’m going. Please, calm down.” He whispered to the nurse that he would be out in the waiting room, and to call him if Hutch needed him.

As he was walking out of the door to Hutch’s room, he looked back to see a tear running down the side of Hutch’s face. Seeing it was like a punch to his heart. He took a step back toward his partner, then thought better of it.

Starsky stopped at the nurse’s desk and asked them to call Doctor Hobbs and tell her that he would be in the waiting room. He told them to tell her about Hutch being so upset. They told him they had already called her. He nodded and walked wearily out to the waiting room. He walked over to the far wall and stood looking out the window, trying to figure out what to say to Hutch… and if, or when, he would get a chance.

He walked over and sank into a chair. He mentally kicked himself for not telling Hutch what Doctor Hobbs had said. He knew Hutch wasn’t stupid. And with him being more alert, he was bound to have noticed that his legs weren’t working. And that staff had to turn him in bed. “I should have told him!” Starsky smacked his fist down on the arm of the chair he was sitting in.

“No, I should have explained it to him.”

Starsky looked up to see Doctor Hobbs standing in front of his chair. “Is he… did he calm down?”

“I had them give him some Valium to calm him down so he didn’t stress his heart. I should have known he was smart enough to figure out something was wrong. That’s MY fault.”

She sat down beside Starsky. “I wanted to wait until he was a little stronger before I told him. And I thought the swelling might have gone down more by now.” She sighed and reached out to touch Starsky’s arm. “He’ll calm down. Give him some time.” She looked at him and saw some spots of blood on his sleeves. “Why don’t you go home. Take a shower, change clothes, then come back. We can go in and talk to him together.”

Starsky nodded. “Okay, I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“Why don’t you make it two or three? Get something to eat. I have your number, and I promise to call if there’s a change.”

“Thanks, Doc.” He stood and walked over to the elevator and pushed the down button. He leaned against the wall until the car came and he stepped in. He shook his head. Doctor Hobbs was wrong if she thought a couple of hours without him was going to calm Hutch down.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Starsky left, after being sure the nurses had his phone number. He swung by the station to read through and sign his statement on the shooting. If Dobey was surprised to see him away from his partner, he wisely choose not to comment on it.

On his way home from Metro, he stopped and picked up a couple six packs of beer. He also grabbed a fifth of whiskey… just in case. He turned off the Torino when he arrived at his place and took his liquor store purchases up the stairs with him. He let himself into his house, put the beer in the fridge and started stripping off his clothes on his way to the shower.

He stood under the hot spray and thought about Hutch as he washed himself. What if he was paralyzed? He’d never be able to stand under a shower like this. Never be able to be Starsky’s partner on the streets again. Would he ever be able to make love again? He didn’t know where that thought had come from. Well, he did know, but didn’t want to think about it right now. He turned so the spray was hitting his back, leaned his arms against the shower wall, and lowered his head to rest on his arms. Hutch was facing so many unknowns right now… but so was he.

Hearing a sob, he was surprised it was him doing the sobbing. He stayed like he was until the water began to cool down. He turned the water off and reached for his towel. He wiped his face first, then dried his body. His robe was hanging on the back of the door and he grabbed it and slipped it on.

He walked back to the kitchen and picked a beer up from the refrigerator. He walked into his living room and sat on the couch and rubbed the cool can against his forehead. Opening it, he took a sip as he thought about Hutch. Picking up his phone, he called the hospital and asked to speak to the ICU nurse’s station. He was told that Hutch’s condition hadn’t changed other than he wasn’t talking to anyone right now. Starsky thanked them and hung up.

“Great,” he said out loud. “Because of me, he’s isolating himself from everyone.” He drained the beer in a few gulps and went back to the kitchen. He brought two beers back with him. He tried to sip at the second beer, but found it was gone within a few gulps as well. He eyed the second beer, but got up and went to the kitchen, returning with the bottle of whiskey.

He opened the whiskey and held it up. “To you, Hutch. You deserve a much better partner than me.” He took a deep pull from the bottle and set it down on the coffee table. “You deserve a partner who wouldn’t lie to you.”  He picked up the bottle and took another deep drink. “You deserve a partner who would protect you better.” He tipped the bottle up and drank over half of what was left in it. “You deserve a partner that’s anyone… but me.” Leaning his head against the back of the couch, he put his arm over his eyes. The alcohol, combined with his lack of sleep in the hospital, soon had him slumping against the end of couch, fast asleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Starsky woke up with a really bad hangover. He stumbled to the bathroom and washed his face. Then he brushed his teeth which had felt like they had cotton growing on them. He looked at himself in the mirror and noticed the blood-shot eyes and the dark circles under his eyes. He couldn’t look at himself any longer, so he closed his eyes and turned away from the mirror.

He made his way to the kitchen to start some coffee. As it was brewing, he called the ICU phone to ask how Hutch was.

“Intensive Care Unit, Clair speaking. May I help you?”

“Hi, Clair, this is Starsky. Can you tell me how Hutch is this morning?”

“Oh, hi, Starsky… ummm? Just a second, please?”

He heard her put her hand over the phone and ask someone what she should say. What the hell…? There was a fumbling noise then another voice. “Starsky, this is Doctor Hobbs. I’m afraid we can’t release any more information about your… about Detective Hutchinson to you.”

“WHAT?! I’m his DPOA! I have every right to know how he’s doing!”

“I’m sorry, Starsky. He revoked your DPOA rights yesterday after you left.” She paused, then continued with her bad news. “He also… umm… requested that we not allow you to visit him either. I’m sorry Starsky, but I have to go along with his wishes.” She didn’t hear anything. “Starsky?”

“Oh, yeah. I understand, Doctor. Thanks for letting me know. I… uh… I gotta go. Take care, Doc.”

He carefully hung up the phone. Numb. He was totally numb. Hutch didn’t want to see him. Didn’t even want him to know how he was. He bent forward, feeling like Hutch had just hit him in the stomach with all his might. He gritted his teeth to try to hold himself together, but the tears began to fall. He wished he was numb… still.

He remembered what he had thought last night. How Hutch deserved a better partner. How he had failed him. Apparently Hutch felt the same way.

Slowly he walked back to the couch and sat down. He pulled his phone directory off of the shelf under the top of his coffee table. He looked up the number he wanted and started to dial. Before he dialed the last digit, he took a deep breath and firmed his resolve. He knew what he had to do.

“Hey, Edith, is Captain Dobey around? He’s in the shower? Yeah, would you tell him I have some things to do today, and see if he could stop by to see Hutch? Yeah, thanks, Edith… Me? Yeah, I’m fine. Yeah, gotta go… I love you, too.”

The second call was to Huggy. “Huggy, yeah it’s Starsky. I’ve got some things I have to do today. Can you stop by the hospital and see Hutch a couple times today? See if he needs anything? Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Next he called his lawyer. The secretary said she’d have him call as soon as he got to the office. He had early court. He thanked her and began to gather the things he would need for the attorney.

And for himself. For later in the day.

*****

When the attorney called him back, Starsky was numb again. He recited everything he wanted the lawyer to do. He told him he would drop by the office in an hour. He tossed a few things in his overnight bag. Then he stood and took one last look around his place. He saw a photo of him and Hutch, when they graduated from the academy, sitting on his mantle. He walked over and picked up the picture. After a few seconds, he took the picture and unzipped his bag and put it inside. With one last look, he closed and locked the door.

Time to get this over with.

*****

He walked into his lawyer’s office an hour later. He told the receptionist he would be fine waiting. He sat down and placed the bag he had on the floor and the folders he had with him on the chair beside him.

He was calm.

No, he was cold. There was no fire, no life left in him. No fight. It was over. ‘Me and Thee’ had been cut to shreds and he was the one who had wielded the knife. It was too late for a do-over now. He stared at the light blue carpet and tried not to think of how much it reminded him of Hutch’s eyes.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Doctor Hobbs was going to stop by Hutch’s room after she finished her other rounds. She met Captain Dobey coming out of the ICU. He said Hutch was sleeping, but he would come back later. She wasn’t sure if he knew what had happened or not, so she just smiled and waved as he left.

When she walked into Hutch’s room, she saw he was awake. She checked his dressings, read his chart, then sat down in the chair Starsky had been using.

“We need to talk.” She noticed Hutch looked a little ashamed. “What happened yesterday, was MY fault. Not your partner’s. He was only doing what I had asked him to do. I wanted to wait until the swelling in your back had had time to go down more before we talked to you about the possibility of you being paralyzed. From everything I have seen, so far, I believe you will NOT be paralyzed.”

“I… I moved my toes a little this morning.” Hutch told her, sheepishly.

“Do you mind if I check?” When he nodded his consent, she took her pen and, uncovering his feet, ran the tip of it up the middle of both his feet. His legs jumped and his feet jerked away from her pen. She smiled and re-covered his feet. “Excellent! THIS is what I waiting for, Hutch.”

Hutch’s face beamed. “I… I… has Starsky come by this morning?”

“No. He called earlier. And I explained that he was no longer your DPOA. And that he wouldn’t be allowed to visit you.”

“Damn.” Hutch closed his eyes. “Is there a phone I could use?”

“I think that can be arranged.” She smiled and stepped out to the nurse’s station. When she returned, she had a phone in her hand that she plugged into an outlet in the wall. “Dial 9, then the number. I’ll be back later.” She smiled and left, sure that, now, the two detectives would work out their problems.

Hutch tried to call Starsky, but no one answered. “Maybe he’s in the shower,” he mused to himself. Until someone came and took the phone, he would keep trying to call… and then try to find a way to apologize.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

“Mister Starsky, Dave, are you SURE you want to do this? Perhaps waiting a couple of days…”

“No. I want to do this. And I want it all done today. All of it. You’ve got my signatures on all the papers, so make it happen. Today. Take everything in the packets and all the papers to the hospital as soon as it’s done. Give it all to Hutch. All of it!”

“Of course, Mister Starsky. I just think…”

“Don’t think. Just do it!” Starsky stood and began to walk away, when he suddenly stopped. He reached up and took his necklace off. He held it fisted in his hand for a few seconds, then turned and walked back to his, and Hutch’s, lawyer’s desk. “Give Hutch this. Tell him… tell him I hope it brings him safety and love… and a better partner.” He waited until he saw the lawyer slip the necklace into one of the packets, and nod.

He walked out of the lawyer’s office, hailed a cab, and started on his new life… empty and short as it might be.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

It was about noon, and Hutch had just finished getting a bed bath from one of the nurses. He smiled at her as she left. He felt so much better. He had been able to feed himself breakfast and was able to move his legs, almost normally today. He also was wearing a back brace, which made sitting up easier. It took quite a bit of the stress off his back.

He heard a knock on the door to his room and called out, “Come in.” He thought it might be Starsky. He HOPED it would be Starsky. He’d told the ICU staff to let him in… if he showed up.

He was surprised to see his, and Starsky’s, lawyer walk into the room. But this would solve his problem of re-instating Starsky as his DPOA.  “Mister Whitney, good to see you. I was going to call you this afternoon. Come in, have a seat.”

“Mister Hutchinson, good to see you looking so well.” He sat down in the chair and began pulling some packets out of his briefcase. “I have some things we need to go over.” He placed the first folder of papers on the over-bed table. He opened them, cleared his throat, and began. “These are signed papers revoking David Starsky’s DPOA rights over you.”

Hutch was confused. He hadn’t talked to his lawyer about that. “No, I don’t want him to be revoked.”

“If you can wait for me to go through all this, I’m sure you will understand.” When he saw Hutch nod, he continued. “These also revoke your rights as Mister Starsky’s DPOA.” He placed a second folder on the table in front of Hutch. “This folder contains leases, property tax papers, titles, deeds bank statements, and other paperwork relating to everything Mister Starsky signed over to you this morning.”

“Wait!” Hutch picked up the folder, flipping through it quickly. The title to the Torino was on top. Under that was a deed to the apartment complex Starsky lived in, a deed to Venice Place, deeds to The Pits, Dobey’s cabin on Pine Lake, Starsky’s favorite Mexican restaurant, the health food store Hutch shopped at all the time, a small art gallery where Hutch had sold some of his paintings, and numerous other businesses and property. He looked up, stunned. “What… where did all this come from?”

“Mister Starsky had an uncle, his father’s brother, who he barely remembered from his youth. This uncle spent many days playing catch with David, and loved him very much. His Uncle David and David’s father had a falling out. The uncle moved away, married an heiress and together, they continued to amass quite a fortune. They were both killed in a small plane crash about three years ago. Mister Starsky was the sole heir to their fortune. He had me make some purchases for him. He wanted to be sure all his friend’s homes and favorite businesses remained safe. He purchased the art gallery for you. So you would always have a place to display your artwork. He is very proud of your artistic skills.”

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t he tell me?”

“I believe, from what I understand, he just wanted to continue being your partner. He liked being a police detective. I don’t think he wanted anything to… change. He was afraid things would, if you, or anyone else, knew.

Hutch sat there, looking through the folder. Stunned. He found the bank statements and thought his heart was going to stop at the amount of money now sitting in his bank account! There was also a deed to a beach house and land, north of Bay City. The deed had a note clipped to it with Starsky’s handwriting, “Our retirement home”. There were also pictures of the house and surrounding property. It was perfect. Something he, himself might have picked out.

“These are also now yours.” He pulled a blue velvet pouch from his pocket and handed it to Hutch.

Hutch opened the top of the pouch and tipped it into his hand. Dazzling blue stones tumbled out into his hand. Sapphires! Looked like about thirty of them. All beautiful. The colors varied from dark, like Starsky’s eyes, and light blue, like his own. Hutch looked up at the lawyer.

“He said you had a painting of the ocean and sky that you wanted accents for. He instructed me to purchase those for you.”

Hutch put the gems back in the velvet pouch. He was stunned. Those stones, alone, would have cost a fortune! He looked at his lawyer again. “Why?”

“He wanted to be sure you had the finances to pay for your medical care. You can sell any of the properties for way more than he paid for them. Or the sapphires… I assure you, they are of the highest cut and clarity. He wanted me to buy only the best for you. He also moved most of his monetary assets into your account this morning.”

“These are yours as well.” He pulled the Torino keys from his pocket and handed them to Hutch. I believe that’s it. There are a few papers you will need to sign to transfer everything. I will have those drawn up and brought over to you.” He stood up and was half-way to the door when he suddenly stopped. “I almost forgot…” He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Hutch.

“This is Starsky’s necklace! The one he wears all the time! Why would he…?”

“Mister Starsky told me to tell you, ‘Tell him… tell him I hope it brings him safety, happiness, love… and a better partner’.”

The lawyer left as Hutch sat there, surrounded by proof of Starsky’s love. As if he had ever needed proof! He rubbed the coin on the leather thong then tried to feel Starsky’s skin by fingering the leather. “Starsk… what, why did you…?”

Suddenly the lawyer’s words crashed into his brain… “brings… a better partner.”

“Oh, God… what have I done!”

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Starsky moved robotically through the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon. He had gone to his bank and withdrawn only the amount of money he thought he would need for the next few days. The sizable fortune left, he had transferred into Hutch’s account.

He reached over to scratch under his holster, only to remember he’d left it and his gun in his apartment, in his gun safe. “Something else for Hutch to sell, if he needs to”. He had also left the Torino parked at his house. He had signed the title over to Hutch. He let out a sad laugh. He’d sure kept his lawyer’s Notary busy this morning.

The cab stopped in front of The Pits. He got out and stretched. He felt like an eighty year old man. The door opened as he approached it, and he held it for the three young women who were walking out of it. They all gave him appreciative looks, but he just nodded, politely, and walked into the dimly-lit bar.

“Starsky! My man, what it is?” Huggy walked out from behind the bar and slapped Starsky on the shoulder. “How is my blond brother doing?”

Starsky swallowed and managed a weak smile. “He may be paralyzed from the waist down. They’re not sure yet. But he’s awake and he and I… talked. Got a beer for a thirsty man?” He pulled a stool out and sat at the bar, watching Huggy fill a glass, expertly, and hand it to him. “Thanks, Hug.”

He raised the glass and spoke, “To you. Thanks for all the help you’ve given us. For all the tips. For being a great friend. I hope your future is bright with possibilities.” He put the glass against his mouth and took a big swallow. He muttered, “It’s been good knowing you.”

Huggy raised his brows. “Thanks, man. But… what did you say? You make it sound like you’re not gonna be around? What’s happening, Starsky?”

Closing his eyes, he took another swallow and attempted a laugh. “Think I’m gonna take a bus trip, Hug. Go see the country or something.”

“You’re talking crazy, my man! What the hell does that mean?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t mean nothing. Just a joke. Forget I said it.” He took a couple more sips of his beer. “Listen, I… uhhh… I’m gonna be busy for the next few days. Can you keep going over to check on Hutch? I’ll… I’ll call you and get updates. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure, Starsky. You know I’ll check on your other half.” Huggy saw Starsky wince at his words. “Say, you two have an argument or something?”

“Nah, Huggy. He… uh, I just need a little break.”

Huggy didn’t say anything, but did reach across the bar and squeeze Starsky’s shoulder.

“I got to go.” Starsky set the half-full glass on the bar top and slid off his stool. He turned to look at Huggy, and gave him a more genuine smile. “Take care of yourself, Hug.” He walked out of the bar without looking back.

But Huggy watched him the entire way. Concerned, he put Starsky’s glass in the sink and picked up the phone.

*****

“Metro Police Station, how may I direct your call?”

“Captain Dobey, please. Hurry, I gotta talk to him.”

*****

“Huggy, what the heck is going on with Starsky?” Captain Dobey looked at the resignation and badge Starsky had left on his desk earlier in the day.

“That’s why I’m calling you. Dig, he was in here about fifteen minutes ago, talking about catching a bus! He wouldn’t answer any of my questions, just asked me to keep checking in on Hutch.”

“Do you know where Starsky was going? I’ll put an APB out on him and his car.”

“He wasn’t drivin’ the Torino, he was in a cab.”

Anita waved at him that he had a call on the pay phone. “Hold on a second, Captain. I have a call comin’ in on the other phone.”

“You got Huggy, what you got to tell him?” Huggy listened to the caller and straightened up. “You sure? Thanks, man.” He hung up the payphone and quickly returned to his call to Captain Dobey.

“That call was about Sither’s brother. He wasn’t at the house when you arrested everyone. He’s gunnin’ for Hutch. Caller said this guy knows where Hutch is, and is headin’ there to kill him.”

“Damn! You trust this guy?” Dobey was already reaching for the red phone so he could call dispatch and get officers over to Memorial to protect Hutch.

“Yeah, he’s solid.”

”You have any idea of where Starsky went? You see if you can find him, and I’m heading to Memorial. If you find him…”

“I’ll get him there.” Huggy hung up and replayed Starsky’s words in his brain. It was there… just on the edge… he said something about… “Anita, cover the bar. I gotta bus to catch.” He ran out the back door and got in his Cadillac. Within seconds he was racing toward the bus station.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

When the cab came to a halt, Starsky climbed out and paid the driver. He walked into the massive bus station and over to the departures board. Wow, he had no clue there were so many options open to him. He ticked off each destination as he read through them. “Nope. Too many people. Nah, too many old folks. Yeah, like I would go there!”

He settled on a bus heading for Needles. Arizona. “Good enough start; if it’s too hot, I’ll just hop another bus. He walked up toward the counter and got in the line. He closed his eyes and willed his mind to go blank. If he thought about Hutch, he’d change his mind.

“One way to Needles. How soon does the bus leave?”

Twenty minutes. He could handle that. He picked up his bag and walked into the waiting area for his bus. Sitting down, he kept his ticket in his hand. He fought back tears as his mind kept showing him a movie of him walking away from the most important person in his life. Over and over and over.

But that life was done. He wasn’t a cop anymore. He wasn’t a friend anymore. But mostly, he wasn’t a ‘partner’ anymore. He’d proved that he didn’t deserve that title.

Shaking his head, he stared at the stained tile floor of the waiting room.

*****

Captain Dobey had dispatched men to go to the hospital, but they had been held up by a massive wreck between a bus and three cars. Dobey requested aid from the Pacific division, but they were working a multi-car pile-up on the freeway. He got in his own car and started a round-about route to the hospital.

The wreck his men had encountered must have taken out the phone lines to the hospital, because he hadn’t been able to get a call through to them. He had the MARS light on the roof of his car and was using his siren trying to clear his way. Other motorists were trying to avoid the congested area of the wreck, so it was slower going than he wished. His only hope was that Sithers’ brother was caught up in the traffic as well.

*****

Huggy pushed his luck while trying to get to the bus station before Starsky’s bus left. He ran two red lights, about a dozen yellows and defied death by slipping between two taxis to cross three lanes of traffic. When he arrived at the massive bus station, he parked in a red zone and slipped a “Police Vehicle” card under one of his wipers. Starsky had given it to him one time and he had ‘forgotten’ to give it back.

As he ran into the main doors he pulled a picture of both guys out of his pocket. He had almost forgotten it in his hurry to catch Starsky. He wasn’t hopeful that he would find Starsky, but he had to try. He flashed the picture at the bus station guards, but neither recalled seeing him. He hurried to the ticket windows, and to the front of the lines, flashing a fake police badge at people who grumbled.

He got lucky at the third window he approached. The lady behind the window remembered selling Starsky a ticket to Needles, Arizona. “I remember his blue eyes, and thinking maybe I needed to take a trip to Needles, too.” She had laughed and quickly pointed Huggy in the direction of the waiting room for that bus. She had told him he would have to hurry as the bus was due to leave at any minute.

Huggy dodged through the crowds of travelers like a football player returning a kickoff for a touchdown. He knew he only had a few minutes to stop the bus Starsky was planning on riding out of town. He saw the doorway to the correct room and darted through it.

The bus doors were shutting! He ran in front of the bus, waving his fake badge and shouting at the driver to stop! People were screaming and running away from the area. He saw one of the guards he had talked to earlier running toward him. But he remained standing in front of the bus.

After a quick explanation to the guard, he walked over to the doors of the bus and began pounding on them. The driver opened the doors and Huggy bounded up the steps, yelling, “Starsky! David Starsky!”

Starsky had been staring out the window at the other busses coming and going. He felt the bus start to move and felt the first crack in his heart. He had been doing so well, keeping his heart frozen, but a small crack opened up. He pushed himself back in his seat, steeling his heart. When the bus abruptly stopped, he wondered if a late arriver had managed to flag it down.

He was stunned when he heard, then saw Huggy standing at the front of the bus, yelling his name. He grabbed his bag and walked quickly up the narrow aisle. “Huggy? What the he…”

“We got no time! Hurry, Hutch’s life is in danger!”

“What?”

“I’ll explain on the way. Let’s GO!”

Starsky followed Huggy as they dashed through the station. Hutch? God, what now? He spotted Huggy’s car. He couldn’t believe Huggy had parked in a red zone! And was that a PV card he had propped under a wiper? “Huggy…”

“Later, Starsky, we don’t have much time. Get in!”

Starsky got in Huggy’s car and turned to him. “What’s going on, Huggy?”

“I got a call that Sither’s brother wasn’t arrested at the house. Caller said this dude was asking questions about what hospital Hutch was at. Said he was headed to Memorial to kill Hutch!”

Starsky’s heart almost stopped. He would have left town, never knowing that Hutch had been killed. “Hurry, Hug. We gotta get there in time!”

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Running up the stairs from the ground floor, with Huggy on his heels, Starsky kept praying they would get to Hutch before Sither’s brother did. When he got to the floor, he peeked through the window in the door before he opened it. He saw nothing out of place, and stepped into the waiting room, with Huggy right behind him.

He noticed there wasn’t anyone in the waiting area. They had taken about ten steps toward the ICU, when they heard a scream. Both men ran to the door to the unit and flattened themselves against either side. Starsk snuck and peek through the window and saw a man holding a gun on the nursing staff.

“Hug, go back downstairs, wait for Dobey and tell him the guy is in the ICU and he’s armed with a gun. I’m going to see if I can distract him. Hurry!” He watched Huggy run back across the waiting room and took a deep breath. How he wished he had his gun with him. But he would just have to arm himself with his wits. Hutch’s and other lives were depending on him.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, when he heard a muffled scream. He was out of time. He stepped away from his place beside the door and reached out to open it. He started to whistle as he walked through the door with a smile on his face. He walked in, looking down, trying to get as close to the man as he could.

“Stop right there!”

He stopped and looked up, his whistle dying at the same time. He held his hands out at his sides as he saw the man, still standing behind a nurse, with his gun pointed at him. “Hey, man! Don’t shoot! I’m only here to see my grandma!”

“Move over there by the nurse’s desk. NOW!” The man gestured with his gun and Starsky moved over where he had pointed for him to. That brought him closer to the gunman.

“What’s this about? I just want to see my grandmother!”

“Shut up!” He pulled the nurse closer to him and put the gun to her head. “Tell me what room that cop’s in!”

Starsky knew he had to step in. “Hey, man, don’t hurt her!” He took a step toward him. “Let her go. I’ll be your hostage.”

“And why would I want YOU as a hostage?” The man sneered at Starsky.

Holding his hands out to his sides, Starsky calmly said, “Because I am ‘that cop’s’ partner. I’ll make a much better hostage for you, since the waiting room you’ll have to walk out of here through, is filled with police officers by now. I’m not armed. I only want to see my partner live through this day. If that means you taking my life once we get out of here, so be it.” He shrugged. He meant every word he said. He would gladly give up his life to save Hutch’s

The gunman paused for a moment, then said, “Turn around and back towards me. SLOWLY!”

Starsky did as the gunman asked. He knew he would only have a few seconds to react when the gunman released the nurse and reached for him. He took a breath and tried to stay balanced on his feet as he walked backward toward him. He locked eyes with Doctor Hobbs and moved his eyes to indicate that she and another nurse standing beside her, should try to get behind the desk. He saw her nod slightly and reach out slowly to take the nurse’s arm in hers.

It was now or never.

*****

Hutch had heard voices in the nurse’s area because his door wasn’t shut tightly. At first he had ignored them, trying to call Starsky’s number again. The phone system seemed to be shut down. He hung the phone up and set it to the side. He was getting worried about Starsky. What if Starsky… He heard a scream from outside his door. He tensed and felt a twinge of pain in his back. “What the hell?”

He listened intently, then heard Starsky’s voice. Starsky was talking softly and Hutch had trouble hearing everything. Then he heard another man’s voice asking about giving up a hostage. Hostage?

Hutch carefully slid out of his bed. He stood, leaning against the bed long enough to make sure his legs would hold him up. As he stood there, he heard Starsky’s voice!

“I’ll make a much better hostage for you, since the waiting room you’ll have to walk out of here through, is filled with police officers by now. I’m not armed. I’m your only hope in getting out of here alive. I only want to see my partner live through this day. If that means you taking my life once we get out of here, so be it.”

NO! Oh, hell no!

Hutch looked around his small room, looking for something he could use as a weapon. His options were limited. Then his eyes fell on the coffee carafe sitting on the over-bed table. One of the nurses had brought it in shortly before he’d heard the scream. It was full of hot coffee. It wasn’t much in the way of weapons, but it was going to have to do.

He picked up the carafe, took the lid off it, and took slow, quiet steps toward the door of his room. He noticed the cane he was going to be using for the next few weeks leaning against the door frame. He transferred the carafe to his right hand and picked up the cane with his left. He took the last step to the door.

It was now or never.

*****

Starsky struck back with his left elbow just as the door to Hutch’s room opened. The gunman jerked his head toward Hutch just as Starsky’s elbow caught him in the abdomen. Starsky tried to duck out of the man’s arm around his neck, but only succeeded in falling to the floor, instead of landing on his feet. He heard a shot and felt pain in his neck. He heard Hutch yell, “NO!”

He looked up from the floor to see Hutch, on his feet!! Hutch had a carafe in his hand and he tossed the contents into the gunman’s face. He had a cane in his hand, which he used to knock the gun away from him.

Doctor Hobbs and pushed the nurse behind the desk and then dashed forward to grab the gun that was sliding across the floor. “FREEZE!” she yelled, holding the gun in a very steady grip.

The man had his hands over his face and was screaming obscenities. Dobey and several other officers, along with Huggy came running in the door. Starsky shook his head and almost fainted at the pain that sliced through his neck! He put his left hand up to his neck and felt blood. He tried to put his hand over the wound, but one of the nurses beat him to it with a dressing that she held on it with firm pressure.

Another nurse had rushed to Hutch’s side to steady him, since the cane he had used as a weapon had fallen to the floor. Doctor Hobbs handed the gun to Captain Dobey as other officers hauled Sither’s brother to his feet, cuffed him and led him out of the ICU.

Starsky glanced up at the same time Hutch glanced down. They both smiled at the same time.  

There was healing yet to be done between them, but now, both knew it would come. They both looked up as they heard Huggy start talking to Doctor Hobbs. Both chuckled as they looked back at the other. Both still being cared for by a nurse.

“So, Doctor Hobbs, why haven’t you ever made my acquaintance... before now?”

TAG

It was late in the evening, and the guys were both settled in beds, in the same room. Doctor Hobbs had decided Hutch was strong enough to move out of the ICU. Starsky’s neck had been grazed by the bullet. From the amount of blood, it had looked very serious. But a few stitches had taken care of it.

They had been given pain meds and any other that they needed before they went to sleep. Each had been given pitchers of ice water and plastic glasses to drink out of. As the door closed behind the nurse, a heavy silence filled the room.

“Starsk…I want to tell you…”

“Hutch… look, I’m…”

“Go ahead, Starsk.” Hutch looked at his partner, then back down at the tray table in front of him.

Another awkward pause ensued before Starsky began speaking.

“First, how are you? Did you hurt your back with those gymnastics you did in the ICU?”

“Doctor Hobbs did some x-rays while you were having your neck taken care of. She said everything looked real good. Having the back brace on, probably made the difference.” He paused then continued, “You okay? Your neck?”

“Yeah, just hurts when I turn my head and pull the stitches.” He poured some water into his glass and took a sip. “When I saw you standing up, walking… God, Hutch. That was the best…”

“Yeah, it felt pretty good.”

“Hutch, I’m sorry. I felt like I let you down, when you got shot. I should have been watching for threats… instead of keeping my eyes on you.”

“Starsk! We were at a baseball game! Who would think what happened…  would happen? You’ve ALWAYS had my back. And from what Doctor Hobbs told me, you catching me, is probably why I CAN walk now.”

The room fell into silence again, but this time, it was a comfortable one.

“Starsk, I’m sorry I… did what I did. I hated what I was saying, but I couldn’t stop myself. Forgive me? For probably the millionth time?”

“I forgive you… for the two millionth time!”

Both chuckled. They had been put in a corner room at the end of the hall and it was very quiet. Both lay in their beds, comfortable now, with each other.

Suddenly, Starsky said, “I can’t do this!”

Before Hutch could ask him what he was talking about, Starsky was out of his bed and motioning for Hutch to scoot over. When he carefully did, Starsky climbed into the bed and eased down beside Hutch.

“This okay?”

Hutch smiled. “Very okay.”

“I… been having some dreams… about us.” Starsky began, looking up at Hutch’s face.

“I wonder if they’re as sweet and hot as the dreams I’ve been having about… us?” Hutch said.

Starsky snorted, “Great timing we got, blondie!”

Hutch chuckled. “Yeah, well maybe us having to go slower, will make it all the more meaningful?”

“Yeah, sweet and meaningful.”

They both yawned at the same time.

Starsky said, “We need to get some sleep.”

“Yeah, we do.”

Starsky raised his face at the same time Hutch lowered his, and their lips met. Softly, gently exploring. When they parted, both smiled and Hutch said, “VERY sweet and meaningful!”

Starsky just chuckled, and settled in beside his partner, resting his head over Hutch’s heart.

When Hutch laughed a few seconds later, Starsky both felt and heard it. He glanced up at Hutch. “What?”

Hutch looked down and locked eyes with Starsky. This is almost like a fairy tale!” He continued looking into those blue eyes that represented being safe. He whispered. “My, what big… blue eyes you have!”

Starsky felt daring, and slid his hand down Hutch’s abdomen to cover the bulge he had noticed beneath the sheet. As his hand gently explored, he said, “My what a big…”

Hutch slapped his hand over Starsky’s mouth. They were both laughing softly.

Both shifted slightly in the bed. “You know, Hutch, this place needs to invest in some double beds! Better yet, with the way you usually toss and turn… and that _HUGE..._ ego of yours, make them king size!”

Sleep claimed them. Later when one of the nurses opened the door to check on them, she saw them entwined in each other’s arms, in one bed. She smiled and shut the door softly.

And they lived happily ever after.


End file.
